Coal distillation by-product recovery system



Jan. 31, 1933. s. P. MILLER COA.. DIISTIALLATION BY-PRODUGT RECOVERY SYSTEM Filed June 1B, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS 111111.31, 1933. s P, ,.LLER 1,895,675`

QOAL DISTILLATIO BY-PRODUGT RECOVERY SYSTEM Filed June 1s, 1929 3 sheets-sheer 2 AT1-ORNl EYS S. P. MILLER Jan. 31, 1933.

COAL DISTILLATION BY-PRODUCT RECOVERY SYSTEM Filed June 18. 1929 5 sheets-Sheet 3 (die /c/f gaffe/f l INVENT ATToRNEYe Paume-1.a. 31, 1933 UNITED `swr-res PATENT' oFFlcE STUART IABIELEE mm l'. ENGLEWOOD, NEW-JERSEY, ASSIGNOB T0 THB BARRETT mum, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY GOAL DISTILLATION BYPBODUGI RECOVERY SYSTEM:

Application led J'une 18, 1929. Serial No. 371,931.

This invention relates to removing entrained matter,.e. g. pitch particles from mixtures of gases, such as hot coal distillation gases, in an electrical precipitator at a high temperature and recovering clean condensate from the resulting clean gases and vapors. It includes both the method of removving the entrained impurities and apparatus for carrying it out.

retorts are ordinarily collected in a gas collector main where they are partially cooled, and from this main they are conveyed -to condensing means where they are further cooled. Oncooling, tarry and pitchy constituents separate from the es. The' gas collector mains Y are ushed with a suitable liquid, e. g. am-

monia liquor or tar or both, to prevent the accumulation of tar or pitch which may separate from the gases in these mains. If tar or pitch is allowed to accumulate in the main, it is distilled or decomposed by the hot gases passing through the main and is converted to hard pitch or coke which is diilicultto remove om the main, and, which, if allowed to accumulate, may in time cause stoppage of the l mam.

This invention is not limited to the treatvment of gases which have been passed through a collector main and which have been subjected to partial cooling in the collector main so as to separate tar or pitch from the gases, lbut relatesto the cleanln of gases containing vapors, a portion of w ich have been condensed from the gases, and more particularly to the cleaning of the partially cooled gasesv in an electrical precipitator at a regulated temperature.

According to this inventionl the gases from a number of coke ovens, for example, are first partially cooled and then passed into the electrical precipitator. The gases are passed down through the precipitator and are subjected to an electrical discharge therein, which removes entrained' matter from the gases. In order that higher boiling oils may, when desired, be recovered from the gases' after cleaning, and be obtained directly from the gases as clean oils, the gases are, when l desired, .cleaned at a high temperature and The gases from a battery of coke ovens or Aprecipitator or down through the the treatment to which the gases are subjected before entering the precipitator is then such as to allow ythe gases to enter the precipitator at a temperature at which matter removed from the gases in the precipitator, if w allowed to remain in direct contact with the gases 1passing through the precipitator overa ,pro onged period of time would be distilled or decomposed by the action of the hot gases l According to the usual operation of a coke s oven battery, the gases from the 'ovens are' collected in a collector main and the tempera- -ture ofthe gases is greatly reduced Within .the main. When operating according to this invention, if the -gases are collected in a collector main before passing through the precipitator, they are cooled to only a regulated extent. in the collector mainto cause condensation of a suiiicient quantity of oils of hi h boiling range to keep the precipitator tues clean, and they enter the precipitator at an elevated temperature, still carrying oils of high boiling range in vapor form. In order to prevent the accumulation of itch in the collector main, the bottom of vt e collector` main may be ilushed with tar, preferably hot tar or pitch. The gases may be subjected to limited spraying in the collector -main to cause separation of suflcient condensate to insure adequate washing of the walls ofthe precipitator when the ases are subsequently passed down through t e precipitator. f

Regardless -o whether the gases being cleanedv in a precipitator pass up through the v precipitator, the greater portion of the entramed matter is precipitated from the gases soon after they enter the discharge zone of the precipitator. As an illustration of this, it may be noted that in a precipitator of the Cottrell l containing vertical tubes ten feet in length, about 35% of the total entrained matter may separate rom the gases in the Erst foot of the precipitator tubes and about 30% 95 in the second foot, leaving only a relatively small proportion of the entrained matter precipitated in the remaining length of the tubes. When the gases to be treated are passed downl through the tubes as contem- 100 plated byy this invention, the greatest part of the entrained matter is precipitated from the gases near the top *of the tubes, and in flowing down over the surfaces of the tubes prei ventsl the accumulation of precipitatedmatter thereon. y The invention contemplates treating the gases ata controlled temperature, high enough so that that matter precipitated from the gases wouldbe distilled or decomposed unless removed from the precipitator tubes soon after it is'deposited from the gases but low enough so that there'is formed in the gases entering the precipitator a suspension of condensate suiiiciently Huid at this high temperature and suilicient in amount to wash the walls of the precipitator as the condensate and other entrained matter is precipitated from the gases and to keep the walls of the precipitatorclean. At such a temperature, hot coal ldistillation gases contain valuable oil constituents which after the cleaningd operation can be recovered directly from the gases as clean oils, by cooling the cleaned gases. The invention contemplates obtaining this temperature by regulated cooling of the gases be ore they enter the precipitator.

Coke oven gases, for example, as they come from the ovens, contain fine particles of dust, coke, etc. On cooling the gases, the first condensate. to separate outiof the gases is a .pitchy or resinous material,which is solid at ordinary. temperatures in an isolated state. On further cooling, higher boiling oils, such as the highest boiling oils of the creosote.

range, separate from the gases, and on. further cooling, creosote oils, carbolic oils, etc.,

separate. Owing to the entrained impurities carried from the ovens by the gases, the condensate obtained by cooling the gases is a tary or pitchy product instead of a clean distillate. By cleaning the gases in a pre# cipitator lat a high temperature, entralned impurities may be removed from the gases and clean condensate will be produced directly vfrom such cleaned gases by cooling them. cording t0 this invention, the gases are cleaned at a high temperature and the cleaning is carried out in a down-draft precipi- I5g-ztator, after first partially cooling the gases.

. type may advantageously be employed for .An electrical precipitator of the Cottrell l cleaning the gases. Such a precipitator comprises vertical tubes which serve as the collecting electrodes of the precipitator. The

gases to be treated are passed through these tubes. Wires or'rods which form the discharge electrodes are mounted approximately axially in the center of the collecting electrodes. The collecting electrodes are advantageously grounded and the discharge elec# ktrodes are connected with a source of unidirectional current. The voltage under which the process is operated is varied, depending u'pon the diameter of the precipitator tubes employed, thel conductivityof the gas being treated, etc. Tubes with a diameter in the nei hborhood of 6 are ordinarily emplfyea wit a voltagedrop in the neighborhoo sacco-50,000 volts.,

According to th1s mventionisuiiicient condensate, liquid at the cleaning temperature, is suspended in the gases entering theprecipitator to insure washing the collecting electrodes with the matter precipitated' from the gases. The gases are passed down through the precipitator and a large proportion of the suspended matter is precipitated from the gases at the topof the coli lecting electrodes. In owing down over the electrodes, this condensate, precipitated out of the gases, washes the collecting electrodes and y.prevents the accumulation of tarry or pitchy constituents separated fro'mthe gases on these electrodes. v

Instead of collecting the gases rality of coke ovens or other coal distillation or coal carbonization units in a collector main and then subjecting them to electrical precipitation after regulated cooling in thev collector main', the gases from -one or more mation of a fluid precipitate from the gases. lon the collecting electrodes such as tov wash them and keep them free from pitchy deposits.

The gases ample, the gases from a number of coke ovens, may be combinedl andl simultaneously treated in an electrical precipitator, or gases from a single source such as gasesfrom a single unit, which may be a larger unit such asa water gas machme, may besepa'rately treated. The invention relates to treating such gases ata high temperature and is particularly adapted to the cleaning of gases, which, on subsequentcooling, will yield desirable clean condensates. f

In addition to the clean-oil condensates, marketable pitches or pitchessuitable for blending may be produced directly from the precipitator during the cleaning operation.

from several sources as, for ex- The melting point of the pitch produced will depend upon the cooling to which the gases have been subjected prior to the cleaning operation. .Coke oven gases, for example, may be cleaned at'a temperature of 250 C. or 300 C. or higher. High melting ypoint pitches may be obtained and on cooling the cleaned gases, 'valuable oils, including oils of higher boiling range, will be recovered directly from the gases.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings,

although vit is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto.

Fig. 1 is a plan' view of a coke oven battery equipped for carrying out the invention; f Y

Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section of a ortion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1

ig. 3 is a cross-section of the precipitator shown in Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified form of apparatus in plan and in elevation.

Referrin to the drawings, 5 indicates a coke oven attery equipped with a gas collector main 6 which is connected with each of the ovens of the battery through an uptake pipe and goose-neck 7. The gases pass from the collector main through the center box 8 and the short main 9 into an electrical precipitator 1 0. In order that the gases shall enter the precipitator at a high temperature and in order to reduce the amount ofcondensable constituents removed from the gases before they enter the electrical precipitator,

the cooling to which the gases are subjected in the collector main is limited. The drawings show pipes 11 supplied from the tank 12 by the pump 13 for supplying tar, which may be warm or hot tar or pitch, to each end ofthe collector main to prevent the accumulation of pitch in the bottom f the main. Means for subjecting the gases to limited spraying in the main maybe provided. Tar or pitch comprising `constituents removed from the gases as well as material used for flushing the bottom of the main is withdrawn from the center-box 8 into the tank 14. The tar or pitch collected in the tank 14 may be sary that the gases enter the top of the precipitator; they are subjected tol cleaning by anelectrical discharge as they pass down through the precipitator. The cleaned gases pass out from the bottom of the preciptator. Preferably, the precipitator is of the Cottrell type such as that shown in the drawings. This precipitator comprises a shell 17 enclosing anumberl of tubes 18 supported in heads 19 and 20 Within the shell. The shell may be insulated against heat loss by the covering 17 The inlet 21 above the tubeseommunicates with the chamber 22. The outlet 24 permits the escape of the gases from the precipitator after they have been cleaned.

A plurality of electrodes 25, preferably in the form of metal rods, weighted at their lower ends, extend through the tubes. They are supported by the bus-bar 26. The busbar extends into the casings 27 which enclose the insulators 28 upon which the ybus-bar is supported. The high tension current em plied to the bus-har through the line 29. The casing 17 is grounded or otherwise connected to the source of current to complete the circuit. The casing. and tubes form the'positive electrode, the electrodes connected to the busbar being negative. The form and varrangement of the conductors in the circuit can be varied.

The cooling to ed prior to entering the precipitator is such that the gases entering the precipitator-carry which the gases are subject- I suspended in them particles of tarry or pitchy matter which is sulliciently fluid4 to run downthe tubes of the precipitator andkeep them clean. The gases are, nevertheless, at such a high temperature that if they were cleaned in an electrical precipitator in which the electrodes were not subjected to a washing action,

entrained particles which would separateA particularly at the upper end s of the tubes .of the precipitator would remain in contact In carrying out this invention the ygases are passed downwards through the precipitator. The greater part of the entramed matter is separated from the gases in the top portion of the tubes. Only a small amountcof entrained matter is separated from the gases in the lower portion ofy the tubes. The entrained matter separated in the upper portion of the tubes, on draining down through the tubes, washes from the tubes substantially all entraine-.d matter separated thereon, including that separated on the lower portions. The cooling to which the gases are subjected "before'they enter the precipitator is so regulated that the gases carry suicient ent'ained liquid particles to keep the tubes c ean.

los

The' tubes of the precipitator may be jacketed as shown and their temperature may be regulated by circulating a temperatureregulating medium through the v]acket by means ofthe connections 30 and 31.

In order to prevent the accumulation of the precipitator at all times. The position A .of the levelling arm determines the height to which the entra'ned matter is allowed to accumulate in the bottom of the precipitator. The cleaning of the ases is effected at av high temperature and t e entrained matter therefore comprises chiey pitchy constituents and is relatively free from lower vboiling oils. The pitch which is drawn 'oil' l through the levelling arm 33 may be collected and dis osed of in any suitable manner.

* The c can hot' gases leaving the precipitator thru the opening 24 are passed thru the main 34 into any suitable type o f condensing system. The condensing may b e eilected in asngle step, or by fractional coolin of the gasesvseveral oil fractions may be o tained. The condensate obtainedvis a clean oil. differs from the ordinary distillate in being free from decomposition products resulting from ordinary distillation methods and contains ingredients ordinarily decomposed by such methods'.v On cleaning at a high tem` perature, high boiling oils are carried over mto the con ensing system and an oil suitable f for creosoting may be produced directly.

By fractionall cooling the gases, .a lclean creosote` oil an 4a clean carbolic oil may be produced. The carbolic oil may be directly extractedfor tar acids. v

The drawings show an indirect condenser '35 for removing a creosote oil fr actionfrom the 'gases and a'direct condenser 36 for removing a carbolic oil from the gases. The

.creosote oil is collected in a storage tank 37 and the carbolic'oil, together with ammonia liquor, is drawn olf into the decanter 38 and from there the carbolic oil is separately collected in the storage tank 39. An exhauster 40 is providedv for drawing the gases through the system.

Insteadof subjecting the gases to regulated .-coohng in a collector main, they may be `collected from insulated uptake pipes in s an insulated hot gas header. From this i header they may be passed through'means for subjectin them to partial cooling, such as sprays o water or ammonia liquor. The cooling. is regulated so that the resulting gases carr with them suiiicientA suspended llquidsto. eep the tubes of the precipitator clean and yet the gases 'are at a suiciently h lghv temperatureto retain desirable clean oil constituents in vapor form.

According to another method of operating', the gases from the individual ovens 'may be paed directly into the top of an electrical precipitator. Fi 4 shows a coke oven battery'50 equipped in the usual way with a collector main 51 and cross-over main 52 which .A

- -pipes 55.k n By proper manipulation of valves iliuptakepipes 53Liand the pipes 55,. the gases from the individual ovensmay be diitV rected either to the collector main ,51 or the precipitator 54. The gases` enter the top of vthe precipitator and are withdrawn from the bottom of the precipitator throu h the mainv tional condensates are desired.` From the' decanters the clean oils are separately col-l lected in suitable storage tanks indicated at y 58. An exhauster 59 is shown for drawing the gases through the system.

The cooling of the gases between the time they leave the ovens and the time they venter the precipitator is preferably by means of ammonia liquor sprayed in regulated amount such that the gases carry with them sufficient particles of entrained liquidato wash the tubes ofthe precipitator and keep them clean. The gases, however, enter the precipitator at a suiliciently'hightemperature to carry vapors -of high boiling constituents comprised therein. Aftercleaning these vaporsl are condensed and clean oil products are obtained.

The limited cooling to which the gases are subjected before they enter the precipitator may be eected by spraying the gases inthe pipes 55. u

The precipitator may be insulated and 'especiallythe lower portion thereof as indicated at 60 in the'drawings, to prevent condensa'- tion of clean oil products froin the gases in the bottom of the precipitator, and blending of these clean oils with the pitchy constituents present in the bottom of the precipitator.

Although the invention is described more particularly -as applied to the cleaning of coke oven gases, it is lnot limited thereto but may be used in connection with the operation y whereby the gases are cleaned a condensing system for separating oils from the gases and means for withdrawlng cleanfgases from the bottom of the precipitator `,and passing them to the condensing system."v

2. Ina coal distillation plant comprising a collecting main for collecting the gases from the ovens or retorts ofthe coal'distillation plant, an electrical;precipitator, means for lconnecting the main 'with the top of the'precipitator, mean/spier subjecting the -gases to regulated partial cooling in passing from the ovens tothe top of the precipitaton'means l nasceva within the recipimor fer stuwen-tingr the gases to an e ectncal discharge, whereby entrained im urities are removed from the gases, a con ensing system for separating oils from the gases and a main connecting the bottom of the precipitator with the condensing system.

'3. In a coke oven plant comprisin a plurality of coke ovens, an electrical preclpitator, vertical tubes within the precipitator with discharge electrodes suspended therein, pipe means connecting the ovens with the precipitator above the top of the tubes, a condensmg system for separating oils from the gases, a

ipe connecting the condensing system with t e Cfirecipitator below the bottom of the tubes, an means for subjecting the gases to'regw' lated cooling in the pipe means connect the ovens with the precipitator.

4. In a coke oven plant comprising' a plurality of coke ovens, an electrical recipitator, pipes connectin the top of t e precipitator lwithkthe in 'vi'dualovens of the plant, means for partially cooling the gases as they ass through said pipes, a condensin system or separatlng oils from the ases an a gas main connecting the bottom o the preci itator with the condensin system.

. testimony whereof I atlx m s i ature. STUART PARMELEE lIIER. 

